Review| The Charmed List – Julie Abe

As a fan of contemporary books I knew I needed to read The Charmed List when I heard about it. I love when there’s a magical touch and I had a feeling this would give me exactly what I needed! Keep on reading to find out more about this book and what I thought!

A big thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the e-arc to read and review!

After spending most of high school as the quiet girl, Ellie Kobata is ready to take some risks and have a life-changing summer, starting with her Anti-Wallflower List—thirteen items she’s going to check off one by one. She’s looking forward to riding rollercoasters, making her art Instagram public (maybe), and going on an epic road-trip with her best friend Lia.

But when number four on Ellie’s list goes horribly wrong—revenge on Jack Yasuda—she’s certain her summer has gone from charmed to cursed. Instead of a road trip with Lia, Ellie finds herself stuck in a car with Jack driving to a magical convention. But as Ellie and Jack travel down the coast of California, number thirteen on her list—fall in love—may be happening without her realizing it.

In The Charmed List, Julie Abe sweeps readers away to a secret magical world, complete with cupcakes and tea with added sparks of joy, and an enchanted cottage where you can dance under the stars.

Review

“Maybe we’re all boxed up by walls, caught up in untruths that hold us anchored to all the wrong things. But we need other people to show us the light, and help us break through those barriers.”

When I first started reading this book I had a feeling it would be a bit magical, but I wasn’t expecting that to be literal. This was such a pleasant surprise. I loved how the author actually worked in some magic in this cute contemporary read. A story filled with friendship, laughter, heartfelt moments, and a tad of romance, The Charmed List was a great summer read.

Ellie is tired of being a wallflower, so she makes a list to check off while on a road trip with her best friend. When wanting revenge on a childhood friend turned enemy her plans change and her parents make her go with Jack. Ellie still tries and checks things off her list and I feel she grows a lot during this story. Things aren’t always what they seem and that’s something Ellie definitely starts to learn.

Jack wasn’t a character I really liked in the beginning, but that was more because Ellie didn’t like him. I loved that the two of them were forced together and actually had to talk things out. Emotions can cloud things and make you see things in a different way and I thought the author did a good job with that while these two spent the summer together.

Also, I love how magic was added in this world. Magical tea and food. That’s definitely interesting. It was also fun meeting Ellie’s parents’ customers along the way. The Charmed List was a fun summer read and I’m glad I decided to sit down with this book.

The Charmed List was definitely more magical than I expected, but in a good way. I really enjoyed reading this book and would love to read more like it. If you have any similar recommendations let me know in the comments. I’d love to hear from you!

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